Patent GB-654659-A (GB)
Title: Washer feeding means
IPC: B23P19/08
Filed: 1947-07-25
Abstract: 654,659. Hoppers. ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS. July 25, 1947, No. 20141. Convention date, July 8, 1940. [Class 78 (i)] [Also in Group XXII] Relates to screw-thread rolling-machines and consists in an attachment for supplying counter-sunk head screws and conical lock washers from loose assemblage in such manner that a washer assembled on a screw is rendered captive by the thread rolling. The washer feeding means comprises a vertically-inclined surface, a washer gate that permits the passage of washers facing in the required direction to said surface, and means for maintaining the washers in this position as they pass down the inclined surface to means for selecting individual washers and feeding them in succession to a discharge position. Feeding screw blanks.-The hopper 16, Fig. 1, for the screw blanks is mounted on a casting 34 for adjustment at right angles to the guide shoot 20, the casting 34 is adjustable on a casting 36 parallel to the plane of slope of the shoot and the casting 36 is adjustable on the base 12 to provide vertical adjustment at right angles to the shoot which comprises spaced bars 42, 44, Fig. 3, that 42 being fixed to the casting 34 and that 44 being adjustable to and from 42. The lowest section of the shoot is formed of similar bars 46, 48 connected to the bars 42, 44 by an offset curved section 62. A cover-plate adjustable by eccentric bolts according to the size of the heads of the screw blanks is mounted over the bars. A plate 80, Fig. 1, reciprocated by a crank disc 82 and connecting-rod 84 feeds blanks from the hopper to the shoot in conjunction with a driven wheel 90 with teeth of ratchet form that clears any excess of blanks and prevents jamming. Feeding washers.-Washers dumped on to the hopper 2, Fig. 3, slide into a channel 112 and thence to a feed-disc 128 under the control of a baffle-plate 266. Correctly placed washers find their way through notches 154 in the rim 142 of the disc 128 and the others are agitated and carried back by baffle-plates 156 extending between the ring 148 and disc 128. From the notches the washers pass over a series of smooth surfaces 190, 206, &c. under a resilientlymounted transparent plate 238 to be received in countersunk peripheral recesses 212 of a rotary feed disc 214 by which they are carried to the upper edge of the guide-bars 46, 48 of the lower section of the shoot. Washers that have their teeth interlocked with teeth of washers located in the recesses are carried to a notch 250, Fig. 8, the edge of which separates them and passes them to a receptacle 248 and thence through a tube 262, Fig. 6, to a pan 264, Fig. 8. The disc 128 is secured to a base 134 slotted at 140 to engage the flattened end of a shaft 138 carrying a worm-wheel 170 driven by a worm 172 on a shaft belt geared through a pulley 186, on a stub shaft and driven by a belt 474 from the motor pulley 366 which also drives a wormshaft 328 that drives cams 316 and 418, Fig. 6. These cams and their worm-wheels rotate on a stub shaft 318 secured at 322 and having passages 424, 426, 430, 432 and 434 for securing the lubrication of these parts. The mountings for the various parts of the supply mechanism are adjustable, resilience being provided where required. The cam 316 acts on a roller 390, Fig. 10, carried by one arm of a three-armed lever pivoted on a stud with eccentric adjustment at 382, a second arm carries the pivot 372 of a pawl 370 engaging a ratchet-wheel 302 secured to the disc 214. The third arm 386 engages a spring 392 which imparts the actual feed stroke to the pawl. A spring 404 connects the pawl to a detent 412 which acts to centre the recesses 212 in turn at the point of assembly. Alternative washer-feeding means. In a modification, the washer has a rotating grooved plate such that washers properly positioned in the grooves can pass under a guard ring 714, Fig. 28, into pockets 716 by which they are brought to the assembly station. The pockets also serve to feed the assembled screw blanks and washers round the curved shoot 722 for delivery to a straight shoot 728 leading to the thread rolling mechanism. In another form a hopper 730, Fig. 30, is partly closed by a rotating roller 732 controlling passage to a shoot 740 of section to fit the washers in the position shown. Washers seeking to enter in reversed position cannot pass and are returned by the roller to the loose mass. In a further form washers are picked from a loose mass by a slotted ring carried by two spiders, the edges of the slots are so bevelled that only correctlypositioned washers pass to the shoot, and in a further form the slotted ring is replaced by a drum having a circumferential series of beveledged holes. The shoot may feed the washers direct to the assembly mechanism as described in Specification 519,529.